Rumour Has it
by Wamakai
Summary: Haru hears something interesting from her friends and jumps to a lot of conclusions... How exactly will Hibari take the news that he apparently bats for the other team? 1886 HibarixHaru pairing.


**Hello again everyone! I was watching the Korean Drama 'Personal Preference' (highly recommend it to everyone!) and I came up with this silly plot. I will say this as a warning to all who read this, the shounen ai or yaoi as the case may be in this fan fiction story is simply **_implied _**and NOT actually there. This is an 1886 story. As an added disclaimer, I don't actually write yaoi or yuri and I don't plan to any time in the future, near or fairly distant for that matter.**

**Now that that's out of the way, I hope you like the story, but please let me know what you think? Many thanks :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own KHR nor do I claim any rights to it or any of the characters and/or locations in this fan fiction story that you may recognise from the anime/manga. I am only responsible for the plot.**

"Eh? Are you sure about that?" asked Haru astonished. Her friends had huddled into a group and were talking amongst themselves avidly. She had gotten very curious and gone to see what it was they were talking about when she heard something very… interesting.

"Shhh! Keep your voice down! Do you want to get us killed?"

"Sorry, but what are you saying? Hi… Hibari-san is… is… what?"

Her friends each looked at each other. Suki cleared her throat.

"I only heard it from one of the upperclassmen. I don't know that this is one hundred per cent accurate but…" here she leaned in and whispered in Haru's ear.

"Eh?!"

Haru's other friend Nana nodded and crossed her arms leaning back and gave a deep sigh.

"Ah! What a waste. I had my sights set on him too." Nana pouted and Suki patted her shoulder.

"I'm pretty sure we all did."

Haru sat where she was blinking in surprise at what she'd just heard. If what they were saying was accurate… well, it would answer a lot of questions. Nobody would know about it either since he didn't talk much to anyone. She had recently decided to make him her newest social rehabilitation project so she had been (trying to be) actively involved in his life as much as she could.

He did have some good sides to him too and she had found new ways of smiling around him even when he turned away and left her for having said something rather dumb. This, however, was a whole other topic!

Should she bring it up? Would it be extremely rude of her? It would, right? Haru sighed and leaned back just as the teacher came in for the next lesson. She would have to think about this a little more after her classes…

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Hibari turned the page on his book and petted Hibird who grew a little restless with the rustle of his pages. The bird calmed down and settled nicely back in his lap. That wasn't what bothered him though.

He had been coming down to the most secluded part of the school gardens he could find, but somehow, some way, the annoying female friend of the Vongola herbivore seemed to be following him around everywhere. What it was she wanted from him, he couldn't quite understand.

The rooftop was no longer even an option so, having run out of options, and not finding it worth his time to try and threaten her to leave him alone, he just shut her out altogether. She never seemed to catch the hint though and kept trying to interact with him.

Today she had sat quietly by his side (at a safe distance, of course) and although she had been parroting endlessly about this amazing new book she had bought, it sat unopened on her lap for the whole time she had been next to him. It felt like she was staring rather intently at him and it was getting uncomfortable.

"If you have nothing better to do than stare at me all day, herbivore, I suggest you do it somewhere else."

Haru was startled out of her thoughts and she smiled uneasily.

"Ah, sorry Hibari-san. I was just… thinking a lot… ano…" he flipped the page of his book again and continued reading.

"Eto, why doesn't Hibari-san have a girlfriend?"

He didn't even deign to look at her when he replied. Instead he got up from where he was sitting and turned to walk away.

"Troublesome herbivores are not worth my time."

Haru sighed watching his retreating back. Hibari must have a very difficult character. If what she had heard that afternoon was true, she understood what he might be going through. After all, he was just a human being too with needs and wants. And so what if his likes were a little different from the norm?

She smiled secretly to herself. She could at least support him and his secret life.

"I'll cheer you on Hibari-san."

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Hibari left the training room with his spirits raised a little. Yamamoto always gave him a good and fair fight so he was never disappointed when they sparred. He picked up his towel and slung it around his neck then headed up to his room for a shower. He was about to take a sip of his water when he almost literally bumped right into – wouldn't you guess? – Miura Haru.

"So, Takeshi-san, eh? I didn't think he was the type…" she said peering into the room with a knowing smile. He raised a brow wondering what she was going on about now.

"He's a worthy partner," he said and sipped his water.

"Ah, of course. I'm sure you two get along well then?"

This girl was acting strangely. What exactly was the point of asking all these stupid questions?

"I don't mean to be nosy," here he raised both his brows wondering if she noticed that she had intruded on his life plenty already without taking _that _into account, "I just…"

"Ah, Hibari-san, that was fun, nee? Yo, Haru-chan, nice to see you," he said turning his usual friendly smile her way. He slung his arm around Hibari's neck casually and spoke again.

"What were you guys talking about? Hibari-san, you shouldn't scare the lady with that scowl of yours eh?" Yamamoto touched the Cloud Guardian's forehead as he spoke but Hibari slapped his hand away.

"Ha ha ha, I forgot you don't like being touched."

"If there's nothing more, I'm going to leave now," said Hibari turning to leave.

"Oh yes! I almost forgot. I had my secretary set up our room for tonight. It's on the third floor since I know how much you like privacy."

Hibari nodded and left Haru standing next to Yamamoto who was waving at his retreating back. Haru played with her fingers. She felt as if she had been allowed to take a little peek into something entirely too private. She could already feel the blood rushing to her face and could only hope that she didn't already look like a tomato.

"Haru-chan, are you okay? You're turning red…"

"Oh, it's nothing. A… ano, Takeshi-san, do you… eto… Do you l… like Hibari-san?"

"Where is this coming from? Of course I like him. We've been friends this long and you don't know? I know he acts all hard and cold, but he has his good points too. I think we've gotten really close lately and that makes me very happy."

Haru nodded and held her hands behind her back.

"So… tonight you two are going to be together upstairs?"

"Yup. All night. He promised so I know he'll show up. It's getting a little late. I'd better go get ready then. See you Haru-chan!"

Yamamoto sped off down the hall leaving Haru blushing furiously at what she'd just heard. She had known they were close friends but this was a whole new development! And they were so open about it too! She touched her cheeks trying to fight off the blush.

She had to be strong if she was going to support her friends. It wasn't anything to be particularly embarrassed about. It was a little shocking to find out that Hibari actually had a lover and that that lover happened to be Yamamoto. So then the rumours had been true…

But all in all, who was she to judge? She nodded once and vowed to help in any way she could.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The next afternoon, Haru ran into Hibari again in the library. He was reading one of the older books while Hibird sat on his head looking on curiously.

"Ah, you were here."

Hibari yawned and turned the page without looking up. He silently regretted not telling this irritating herbivore to leave him be from the start. Now it was just getting annoying how she kept following him around everywhere.

What baffled him the most now was the fact that he wasn't as annoyed as he had thought he would be by her interruption.

"You look tired. Didn't you sleep?" she asked again. He didn't feel it was worth replying. Haru cleared her throat and thankfully, for a few minutes, said nothing. She kept fidgeting though and that bothered him a little less than the fact that she was staring at him again (from a safe distance of course)…

"You don't have to hide it from me Hibari-san. I… I already know about you…"

At this he raised his head. He wondered what on earth she was talking about this time. Haru couldn't seem to keep a straight thought in her head for more than two minutes, and that was on a good day.

"What is this you seem to 'know' about me?"

"Well… y… you know… that you l… like… That you like… eto…"

Hibari sighed and shut his book loudly enough to startle Hibird who flapped his wings and chirped in surprise.

"I don't have time to waste herbivore. What is this you know about me?"

"Um… that y… you like… guys."

Both his brows shot up comically. Haru was sure she would find it funny at any other time. This was not that time.

"And where did you hear this?"

"Ano… that's not very important is it? Haru just wanted to let you know that she supports you to the very end and…"

"Stop." Haru blinked noticing the killing intent behind that one word. It was probably a very sensitive topic and not really one he liked to bring up often. She would make a mental note of that.

"Herbivore, go and fix that head of yours."

"M... my head?"

"I am not gay."

"But I was so sure… You said Yamamoto was a worthy partner. Even he said he likes you and you two shared a room last night. Takeshi even said it was for… for privacy…" Hibari crossed his arms and shook his head slightly.

"I am only going to say this once more. I am not gay."

"But Yamamoto…"

"… is my _**sparring**_ partner."

"And... the room upstairs...?"

"… late night office work."

"Ah…" Haru looked down embarrassed.

"Whatever Yamamoto Takeshi feels or thinks is his business."

Perhaps the one and only way to make this dense girl understand was to use her as a practical example. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her to him and kissed her lips. Haru gasped in surprise when his lips slanted over hers and had her breathless in a moment. Then her back was against the wall and his very warm hands were on her skin under her shirt. It all ended as quickly as it had started and she blinked as all her thoughts came rushing back. Her face turned a bright red colour.

She had to admit she'd had a bit of a crush on him before she'd found out about his "preference"…

"I don't have to explain myself to you, but don't go around telling people whatever you want herbivore. If you ruin my reputation," he said leaning closer to her ear, "I'll bite you to death."

Haru shivered and met his cold grey gaze. He glanced at her slightly parted lips and ran his thumb once over her bottom lip.

"Don't forget it or I might have to remind you some other way."

He turned and left a very uneasy Haru sliding helplessly to the ground. Her knees were shaking and she had somehow lost all her strength. She couldn't help wondering what "some other way" could possible be, but with the way he had said it, she was torn between feeling mischievous enough to find out and being too scared to bother.

She raised her trembling fingers to her lips. Considering the size of the blunder she had made, her first kiss was a very small price to pay, and one she really didn't mind paying. But if he had kissed her, did that mean he possibly...?

Shaking her head and getting herself together, Haru made a mental note to self. As far as Hibari was concerned **his **truth was the only truth she would believe from now on.


End file.
